D'Antoni says he knows everything's OK with this team, but he repeats that sentiment often enough to indicate that he might not trust it. With the playoffs looming, he can't help but worry about chemistry and egos.
He pops the cap off the marker and draws a triangle with the point facing up. "This is the player's viewpoint," he says. He points to the peak and writes "player" next to it. At the wide base of the triangle, he writes "team." To the player, the individual is at the top of the triangle, the focus, the pinnacle. Self-preservation is vital. The team, down there at the bottom, is less important.
He draws another triangle with the point facing down. "This is the coach's viewpoint," he says. He writes "team" across the wide flat top and "player" at the point facing down. To the coach, the team is at the top of the triangle, the focus, the pinnacle. Communal preservation is vital. The individual, down there at the bottom, is less important.
The triangles are presented in a basketball context, but the top-down triangle is why Laurel and Mike have been married for more than 30 years. The message echoes a sign in the D'Antoni kitchen that bears an Italian proverb, the last thing they see as they leave and the first when they return:
When the game is over
The king and the pawn
Go back in the same box
It's cave-quiet untill Laurel asks, "What do the players think when you show them the triangles?"
"They think it's cute," he says.
He caps the marker, tosses it on the table and sits down. He says he's probably worrying for no reason, and Laurel agrees. It's time to go home, but not before he takes one more look at the whiteboard. Flipping that triangle in the minds of his players - getting them to see the game the way he sees it - is the fundamental conflict of his professional life.
Tim Keown
"All Their Hoops And Dreams" ESPN the magazine .08.5/8/2017
No comments:
Post a Comment